A space rock formed 4.5 billion years ago during the birth of the Solar System could help us understand the origins of life on Earth.

The tumultuous period during the birth of the Solar System saw space rocks swarming around the growing gravitational field of the Sun and colliding at a rapid rate to form the planets, moons and meteors we see today.

Scientists have analysed one of the meteorites that formed during this period before crashing down on Earth 4.5 billion years later.

The analysis of the ancient grapefruit-sized space rock, known as Orgueil, revealed the elemental building blocks for life.